My first book by C.J. Lyons, who has written a number of other novels.

The Next Widow marks the first in a new series featuring Detective Sergeant Luka Jericho and Dr Leah Wright. In this cracking opening instalment, the reader gets to meet the duo when Luka investigates after Leah's husband, Ian, is brutally murdered. Leah herself makes the horrific discovery but her horror is heightened when she realises that her daughter Emily witnessed the gruesome attack. As well as finding out who killed Ian, Luka must also figure out why the murderer left six-year-old Emily alive... before they strike again.

This first book in what promises to be a marvellous series certainly caused some frissons for me! Firstly, I loved the author's well drawn characters. Luka Jericho carried a lot of emotional baggage and Leah Wright, for her part was Mrs Calm and Collected, ambitious and resilient, the level-headed person that everyone needs in a crisis. With its frenetic pace there was plenty of action, with certainly no room for tedium or boredom here. Set in rural Pennsylvania, the plot itself was fascinating and I revelled in the tension of the investigation, and the way everything was eventually brought together. The Next Widow was a quality police procedural, and one I confidently recommend.

I shall be watching out for the next in the series and I'm immensely keen to see where the talented C.J. Lyons takes DS Luka Jericho and Dr Leah Wright next.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Bookouture via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

If you’ve never read a C.J.Lyons book before you are missing out. New series but same gripping suspense this author is known for.
Leah is devastated by the murder of her husband and will do anything to protect her 6 year old daughter who was a witness. I hope in future books that Jericho who is the detective in charge of the investigation is a stronger lead. He kind of let everyone run over him.
I did figure out who was behind everything before the end but it was still a good read.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the Arc for my honest opinion.

The Next Widow is the first instalment in the Detective Sargeant Luka Jericho and Doctor Leah Wright, currently working as an Emergency Room doc, series, set against the backdrop of the fictional town of Cambria City, Pennsylvania. E.R. doctor Leah has grown used to the siren song of ambulances approaching the hospital, but what she wasn't expecting was having them attend to herself one nightmare-inducing evening. It's just struck midnight on Valentine's Day and Leah is returning home from an enervating shift when she comes upon a devastating and ultimately soul-destroying sight; her husband, Ian, has been brutally slain and his blood now paints the room in a sickening shade of scarlet. Her thoughts then immediately turn to daughter Emily and, fearing the worst, Leah proceeds to frantically search the house where she discovers Emily alive and unhurt but in what can only be described as a catatonic state. Cowering like a startled animal under her bed, Emily is naturally traumatised by her experience. When Luka is called in to investigate, he realises finding a motive let alone a suspect is going to be a challenging task.

This is a riveting, heart-thumping police procedural from the opening pages right through to denouement. It's pacy, well written and extremely tense and is one of the most promising beginnings to a series I've had the pleasure to enjoy in a while. As the author is an E.R. doctor turned writer herself, this lends an air of authenticity to the details of Leah's life, in particular. The narrative is told from the perspectives of both Leah and Luka and I appreciated this simplicity as it often is made unnecessarily complicated but here, seeing things from both the victim and investigators perspectives creates a fully rounded experience. The emotional devastation portrayed in this rather shocking and hard-hitting initial instalment is handled with aplomb and comes across as genuine and believable. There is action, excitement, and suspenseful moments aplenty and the cast of characters is relatable with interesting backstories. A thoroughly entertaining and perfect escapist read for these troubling times. Highly recommended. Many thanks to Bookouture for an ARC.

Thank you Netgalley, Bookouture and CJ Lyons for the ARC. When Dr. Leah Wright returns home after work on Valentine's day, clutching a bunch of roses , little does she know her world is about to turn upside down.

She enters her house to find her husband, Ian, murdered and her daughter, Emily, hiding under the bed. Thus begins the search for the killer who brutally murdered Ian. Luka Jericho and his team are assigned to solve the crime. The list of suspects isn't too big and neither do they find enough reasons. As the story unfolds, the past merges with the present making things a little difficult for Leah.

This is my first book by the author and frankly the detailed description of the murder left me a bit squeamish. The characters are believable and this is a first book in the Jericho and Wright series.

The Next Widow does appear to be the first book in a new series by CJ Lyons. The name was familiar but I couldn't place any books to it. So, I looked at every title and was surprised to find that this was my first CJ Lyons books. It will not be my last.

The story starts off quickly. Leah is an ER doctor with a bit of a control issue. As we watch in the opening scenes, she saves the life of a boy who is technically already dead. We get that she has done this before and that not everyone she works with finds it a good thing. She brings back an attempted rapist who will take up resources and probably never really recover, says her boss. She calls home to say goodnight to her daughter and husband. It is Valentine's Day after all.

Leah finally leaves the hospital and returns home to a horror that will change her life forever. All she can do is try to keep her daughter safe from whoever caused the carnage in her home. The murder of her husband is calculated and yet strangely personal and passionate. Someone wanted him to suffer.

Luke Jericho is the detective who comes to the scene. Despite the very strong and reasonable truth that you should always look at the spouse, he doesn't think she could have anything to do with. Luke is torn between his head and his gut. His gut tells him she would never put her daughter through the horror of seeing her father killed. He has to constantly ask himself if he is being influenced by the loss of his own wife.

The doctor and the detective work both together and separately to try to find who really killed her husband. And why.

Some parts of this felt drawn out. The reader gets just as fatigued as the characters. The action takes place over just a couple of days and there is no time when there is not action or deep, personal introspection. At a few times it seemed to drag on a little too long. The characters are well written, especially Luke Jericho. It took longer to warm to Leah, for me. Other characters seemed thin, for example Harper, and should be either fleshed out in future books or dropped all together.

Either way, I can't wait for the next book. Thanks to CJ Lyons, Netgalley, and Bookouter fro the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Bookouture does it again! I don’t think I’ve ever requested a bad book from this publisher!

The Next Widow is incredible! If you pick up one book this year then make it this one!

Dark, twisted and bloody brilliant! If you haven’t read a book by CJ Lyons before then you’re in for a treat.
My only fault with this was the family side stories, I had no interest in the family beyond the main characters (no not even Emily).

A solid 4.5 / 5 rounded to 5 for Netgalley.

3.5 stars

The Next Widow by C.J. Lyons is the 1st in the Jericho & Wright mystery series.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Bookouture, and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


Series Information: DS Luka Jericho has been in violent crimes for over 10 years, and fought to remain on the streets.  He doesn't want a desk job. His team consists of  Ray Acevedo, Scott Kricheck and newcomer Naomi Harper.


My Synopsis:   (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)

Dr. Leah Wright returns home after her shift in the ER ended at midnight, only to find her house in a shambles and blood everywhere.  Her husband Ian is dead, and her 6-year old daughter Emily is cowering under the bed, in shock.

Leah's determination to keep her daughter safe is the only thing holding her together.

Luka and his team are at odds as to motive.  Naomi is sure that the perpetrator is Leah, and is out to prove it.  Luka is not as sure, although as evidence mounts, even he thinks he may have been wrong.

Meanwhile, Luka's own family is keeping him on his toes.

My Opinions:   

A number of years ago I read other books by this author, and although they were okay,  they didn't stay with me long.  This one just looked interesting, and I'm glad I chose it.

The story grabs you from the first chapter, and remains interesting throughout.  Although there was more than enough fore-shadowing to allow me to figure out the perpetrator by the middle of the book, it was still good.

I liked the both Luka and Leah, as their characters were deep, and interesting and likable.  I could have done without their families (in particular Ruby),  as the side-stories  for them weren't really needed.  As well, Emily's character grated on me (a little bit of a smart-a$$ for a 6 year old).

Overall, it was pretty good, and I will definitely watch for the next in this series.

An interesting book with a fantastic premise. I really enjoyed the author's style of writing and I got through the book in a couple of days. I guessed the 'twist', but not too early that it spoiled the enjoyment for me. If you enjoy reading crime / thriller books, then you'll definitely enjoy this.

When Leah heard sirens in the distance, she just ignored them. Her daughter Emily needed her more and she was just out of reach, curled up under her bed with both eyes closed, body shaking. Her husband Ian's blood was all over the floor. Detective Luka Jericho is on the case and he's shocked to find out that the killer had left a witness behind. The scene is a painful reminder of his fiancé's unsolved death. The killer could be out there waiting to strike again.

Dr Leah Wright and her husband, Ian had moved back to her childhood home of rural Pennsylvania. They were hoping to ring peace and quiet. The story is told from Leah and Luke's perspectives. The main characters are likeable, believable and all rounded. We also get some backstory about them. The book is well written, with plenty twists and it's a roller coaster read. I guessed who the killer was but I couldn't work put the motive. This is the first book in a new series and it's got off to a promising start. I'm looking forward to reading the next instalment.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Bookouture and the author C.J. Lyons for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Next Widow is the first book in a new series by CJ Lyons, an E.R. doctor turned writer.

It’s then not a surprise when we’re introduced to the main character, Leah Wright, an E.R. Doctor with a deeply engrained need to try and save everyone, even though this is impossible.

This introduction doesn’t last very long, as the book plunges us in an horrific murder scene as soon as Dr Wright comes back from her shift on Valentine’s Day. She finds her house splaterred in blood, her husband savagely slaughtered, and her young daughter hiding under her bed in a near catatonic state.

Having no enemies that she knows of, and burglary being quickly ruled out as a motive, there isn’t many leads to follow for Sergeant Luka Jericho, the lead detective on the case. Leah Wright’s husband was a contractor on cyber security for the government. However, a DIA agent assigned to the case quickly rules out this work as a motive for the murder.

The book is narrated in the third person, alternating between the points of views of Leah Wright, struggling with grief and determined to protect her daughter, Luka Jericho and his team, and a very disturbed perpetrator.

That’s part of what makes this book thrilling as, if the reader knows Leah Wright is a victim, detectives’ instincts lead to look at the spouse as the first suspect in such an investigation. And, whatever gut feeling doubts Jericho has about Leah’s guilt, her name quickly becomes the only one remaining on the team’s whiteboard.

To add to this, the seasoned reader will be able to figure out around the halfway mark who killed Ian Wright, and how. However, the motive eludes us until the final chapters, as much as the detectives are kept in the dark. The reader’s added knowledge greatly adds to the tension of the final events.

Leah Wright and Luka Jericho both have had, and still have, complex and difficult personal lives, sometimes mirroring each other, sometimes playing into the main mystery, And, the same is true for other characters. This weaves a complex tapestry as interesting as the thriller itself, and makes for a good start to such a series.

The quality of the writing is what you can expect from a seasoned writer, and the book reads easily, difficult to put down. It’s quite fast paced, everything happening over the course of a couple days and nights, A puzzling peculiarity lies with the detectives using the word « actor » instead of the more common perpetrator or unsub but, that may be a regional specificity. The story takes place in the mountains region of Central Pennsylvania.

Some suspension of disbelief is required as for the how and why of the actions of specific characters, but no more than any TV police procedural or other book genres. It certainly didn’t keep me from enjoying the story, and I’ll be lying in wait for the next book in the series.

Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for the ARC provided in exchange for this unbiased review.

First, I want to thank CJ Lyons, Bookouture and NetGalley for providing me this book so I may bring you this review.

WOW!! CJ Lyons writes some incredibly intense scenes in The Next Widow! This is my first time reading her work and I was totally blown away. She has a gift for writing in this genre.

Instantly from the first sentence of the first page of The Next Widow she grabs your attention. It is a very strong start to the book. It just keeps getting better from there.

What is not to love about this book?! It was incredibly suspenseful, thrilling, heartbreaking, shocking, and a few secrets revealed. I loved how it was staged, one of my favorite places to visit-Pittsburgh. Not to mention I love medical fiction so this book was a combo of everything.

My absolute fave character was little Emily. My heart went out to her as she had to witness something no child should.

There was a quote in the book that touched me “My grandmother, she told me that grief is the price we pay for love. But love is what saves us from grief.”

Having absolutely no control or fate of a loved one when you are an ER Doctor was the inspiration of this book. She shares a tragic story of her own niece. My heart goes out to her for her loss.

An enjoyable read, enough so that I will be hunting down some of the author's previous books.

Ian Wright dies, fighting to keep his young daughter safe, and in a most grisly fashion. His wife Leah comes home to find the remnants of her beloved husband and her young daughter cowering in terror under the bed. I had an inkling quite early on who the killer was, but this didn't deter from the book, in fact, it rather added to the intrigue because I couldn't for the life of me imagine a reason. I found it a bit stretched in places, but not really enough to warrant raised eyebrows.

I absolutely love Luka, and Leah, I can't wait to see what they will be like together - the question is, does together mean as in couple or as in partners? An intriguing thought either way. I also grew to really enjoy the abrasive Naomi Harper. Ruby, however, was a bit of a flake.

Thanks to Net Galley, Bookouture and CJ Lyons for my ARC.

Get ready for a heart pounding thriller! Torn between her role as emergency doctor, mother, and widow Leah is struggling with her new reality. This story really points out the struggle a victim goes through when a family member is murdered. The reality of what the cops are thinking, the work involved, and the trust of a good team. Lyons provided a heart stopping storyline, and as a mother I was torn in many directions. As the wife of a cop, I completely understood Luka’s decisions and the stress his team goes through. My copy was provided through Netgalley and my review was given voluntarily.

** I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review **

The Next Widow begins a new series from C J Lyons, a paediatric ER doctor who started writing crime novels after experiencing a real-life murder (see her website for the full story!) Her medical expertise and understanding of an ER environment is displayed excellently in this novel, but I recommend it mostly on the strengths of well-developed characters and chilling atmosphere. The themes of family responsibility, and what it means to do the right thing stayed with me long after I put this book down.

In the first chapter, I was drawn quickly into Leah’s world, a swirl of urgency and dedication in sterile rooms, and as the book progressed the tension heightened. Reading from Luka’s point of view only increased this, as I felt his anxiety surging whilst he tried to juggle a family crisis and the solving of a shocking crime. The threat looming over the narrative that the killer is not finished with Leah and her family caught and kept my interest.
The beautiful and surprising descriptive writing throughout had me regularly highlighting passages in my kindle, and the originality of Lyons’ turn of phrase is reflected in her plotting. Although I was able to work out the main perpetrator, there were several twists I did not see coming, and the slightly sci-fi set up of the crime was unexpected.

However, by far the best aspect of this book for me were the characters. Both main characters had exceptionally well developed and authentic family lives which weave through the book adding so much flavour. The wider cast were well developed and had strong characteristics without feeling overly tropey and made my experience of reading the book deeply textured. Usually with thrillers I am just looking for my ‘solve the mystery’ fix, but here I was drawn into the lives of these people, feeling their feelings, wanting to protect them from harm.

I am awarding The Next Widow 4.5 Stars, and would recommend it if you enjoy pacey, well characterised fiction, with tension that overflows from the page into you! With content warnings for gore, murder and parent fear, as well as discussion of medical procedures, I would recommend this for ages 15+.

Everyone is a suspect in this intense crime /mystery story.

Dr. Leah Wright is a talented Emergency Room physician. She is happily married with one daughter. One night after her ER shift, Leah arrives home late at night to find her house eerily silent. To her horror, she finds her husband brutally murdered Detectives Sergeant Luka Jericho is on the case. The story follows the investigation of the death of Ian Wright and the subsequent investigation.

The characters were unique and well developed and interesting.

The plot was intense, full of surprising twists and turns. While I thought the conclusion was a bit far fetched, it was cleverly tied together for an unexpected ending. I highly recommend this book.

Overall, a well developed, satisfying read.

Leah Wright comes home to find her husband murdered, and her world torn about. Her only concern now is keeping her little girl safe, but who can she trust? Had me gripped from the first page. This was my first C J Lyons book, it definitely won't be my last. Can't wait for the next Jericho, Wright thriller.

I’d like to thank Bookouture and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Next Widow’ by C J Lyons in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Dr Leah Wright has finished her shift at the Good Samaritan Medical Centre and is on her way home. When she opens the door she sees the furniture has been trashed, there’s blood over the floor and up the stairs and when she reaches her six-year-old daughter Emily’s bedroom she sees her husband Ian’s mutilated body propped up in a pool of blood and Emily rolled into a ball under her bed hyperventilating. Detective Sergeant Luka Jericho is tasked with finding enough evidence to identify the killer in what must be the most gruesome crime he’s had to investigate.

‘The Next Widow’ is a well-written, gripping and fast-moving thriller that’s kept me hooked from the first page. The plot is complex, there’s lots of blood and horrifying descriptions, action, twists and turns, and enough suspects to keep me guessing. The story ends with a dramatic conclusion that has me on the edge of my seat unable to stop reading. This thriller is the first I’ve read by C J Lyons and I’ll be waiting with anticipation for the next in the Luka Jericho series. I can’t fault this thriller at all, it’s a great story with compelling characters, and I have no hesitation in recommending it.

The pace was off in this book for me. Okay at times, but then way too slow at others. Luka and Leah were likeable enough, but the pacing made it hard for me to stay engaged. I was able to figure things out before the end, so that made it a bit of a struggle to finish. Some parts were just too unbelievable.

This is the first book in a promising new series. It started off at a good pace, with plenty action, but just slowed a little in the middle part. I liked the characters of Luka and Leah and the insight into their personal lives. I figured out who the murderer was but it was just a little bit unbelievable. Overall, I look forward to seeing where the next book leads. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

I received this book from NetGallery.com for a honest review. Thank you, Netgalley.
This book kept me turning the pages from the very beginning. Leah, an ED physician, comes home from shift to find her husband’s dead and her child traumatized. Her strength and love for her daughter show true in each decision she has to make. There are twists and turns to be had. I loved this book and rated it with 5 stars.